Zumba

Went to my first zumba class in months and it was awesome! There were some high impact moves I couldn't do since my right knee still hurts from that snowboarding injury but otherwise it took no time for me to get back into the groove. I do have to say the one thing I missed the most when we stopped going to the gym was zumba. It may not be hardcore enough to burn inches, as B suggests (he prefers the more rigorous BodyAttack), but I think it's a good start. I worked up a good sweat and my sore legs tell me it's just what I need to slowly get back on track. And the sauna was a treat - I haven't felt so refreshed for awhile. Can't wait to hit the gym for zumba again!!

zumba blues

Last night our Zumba class followed the new soundtrack - and I'm not lovin' it.  I'm not crazy about the new musics and the new movies - they're getting a little too funky for me.  And dangerous too, considering how crowded the studio was.  I'm starting to like Body Attack more than Zumba.

And soon there will be no more incentive to go to that particular Zumba class - Mish is cancelling her gym membership, and I'm considering doing the same.  It's an expense that I can probably live without now that summer is here and there's all these outdoor activities we can do for much much less.  I don't know.  I guess we'll see.

BodyAttack is addictive!!

Lately our usual Zumba classes aren't as much fun as it used to be - mostly because our instructor Jewel is so awesome that over 40 people try to squeeze into the tiny studio and end up hitting/stepping on each other.  I've been stepped on several times and it's such a turn off when people are so inconsiderate to barge into my space.  Half the time I manage to stay for the whole class, but even so I never feel like I get a good enough work out.  Especially after I've started doing the BodyAttack/Yoga combo.  I get a natural high out of it, whether it be the adrenaline from the intense workout or the triumphant feeling that I'd survived.  And yesterday I was actually craving it, so I scrambled over to the Millcreek gym after work and made it into the Body Attack class that was just starting.  What a workout!  I actually felt less tired last night and slept more soundly than usual.  This group exercise class is totally addictive!!

active week

I only made it to the gym once this week for Zumba, and even then we couldn't finish the class because there was something wrong with the air conditioning and the studio was getting so hot and stuffy that we sweated more than we would have in the sauna.

And yoga didn't happen yesterday.  We wanted to wax our snowboards last Saturday - I knew I wasn't gonna have time during the week and we were not doing anything until later on - but no, Dad insisted that he be there when we do it and he insisted that we do it later.  Well, that "later" happened to be the same night as my Yoga class.  It also happened to be a night when I don't have B around to help me with it.  In the end we managed to wax all 3 boards, but somehow there were grey streaks on B's board.  Maybe because our boards were black on the bottom so it's not noticeable and his was a neon lime color so it showed.  *shrug*  It didn't happen on my board, so I guess it's OK.

Despite missing gym time, I did attend our Volleyball practice - this is our second year participating in the Icewave Fundraising Tournament for SickKids.  It was also my second time playing volleyball.  (Hey, they did say newbies were welcomed!)  Now I'm typing with purple thumbs and bruise marks are also showing up all along my forearm!  But it's all for a good cause because without money going into cancer research these poor kids won't see advances in medicine that could help them.  If you'd like to become a sponsor for our team, go here to donate on-line.

And that's not all, I have badminton lined up tonight and a day at Blue Mountain tomorrow - I'm so excited about snowboarding with Mish and Em again I can hardly wait!

Twin Zumba Instructors

Since I had been skipping out on our exercise routine lately, I had decided to squeeze in some gym time last night. And since I was going alone, I thought I would just pop by the closest one from work - the 24HR co-ed Goodlife on Derry at Millcreek. I ran to boost my heart rate then went at the machines, and I even worked on my abs for a bit. Even though it is also a co-ed gym like Square One, this location was much less crowded, and the machines looked much more decent. There is also a secluded women-only section right next to the locker room so you didn't even have to venture out there if you don't wish to be seen by any member of the opposite sex. I actually really enjoyed working out at this location.

As I was finishing up, I saw that a Zumba class was starting in the studio, so I popped in because I really, really, really missed it. I mean, it's been 3 weeks since my last Zumba class and I was dying to get my groove on. As it turns out, the instructor on stage had a twin sister who is also an instructor. They got us into 2 lines and started dancing with each other to encourage us doing the same and it was just like an awesome party! Definitely one of the best Zumba classes I've been to.

Badminton + Zumba = Aching Calves

I think I overdid it this week - badminton, zumba and then weights in 3 consecutive days. I cannot feel my legs as they have gone numb - especially my calves, which has been aching since Monday. I can only go down the stairs one step at a time now, and it doesn't help that there are stairs everywhere at work - to come into the building there are several steps before you get to the door, to get to my desk I have to climb a flight of stairs, to go to the bathroom I have to go down those stairs (and up again on the way back), to go to other departments we collaborate with I have to go down those stairs and up another set of stairs...

On Monday we skipped Body Combat because Michelle was gonna head out for wings, so I had the opportunity to play some badminton. Boy, was it intense!! Ususally we go to the session from 8pm to 10pm and because there are so many players and only so many courts, we have to take turns to play. Which means for every 15 minutes or so we would get to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. However, this Monday we went to the session from 6pm to 8pm, and there weren't any line-ups at all! We got to play for 2 hours straight and we didn't even have to share the court half the time. It was awesome and I felt great afterwards, except for the numbing pain in my calves and right shoulder the next morning.

Despite the muscle pains, I went to Zumba on Tuesday evening, thinking I've had enough rest. Plus, I really don't want to miss that class - it's one of the only things I really look forward to during the week (the others being Fridays and every other Thursday when the paycheck comes). I thought if it was too much I can always make it more tame, and if I really couldn't stand it I could leave half-way. Wrong! It was so much fun that I had almost forgotten that my legs were hurting, and only after I got home I had realized that my calves were aching even more!

I half limped to work on Wednesday and had to rely on a couple of advils to last through the rest of the day. The only times I left my desk was to grab some coffee in the morning and for lunch. Otherwise, I stayed put, trying to minimize any actions (like climbing stairs) that might further aggravate my aching calves. But since Michelle has missed Zumba on Tuesday, we had decided to meet up and work out. Really, I should have stayed home. My legs were hurting and I almost wanted to take the elevator to go up to the gym. But I wanted to keep Michelle company, since she hasn't even gone to the gym once this week and our goal was a minimium of twice per week. It wasn't a great workout though - I couldn't warm up before going to the weigh machines because it hurt too much to do the bike nor the treadmill. I could only work on my abs and lower back, and in less than 30 minutes we hit the showers. Sauna was nice though, and definitely helped releasing some stress and relieving the muscle pains. I love to be in the sauna. Especially when it's so cold outside.

Goodlife = Good workout

Zumba was awesome last night - Goodlife is having an Open House (until Monday) and the gym was packed, but luckily we still had enough room to strut our stuff in the crowded studio. I just loved the music and have this tune stuck in my head now - I have to remember to ask Jewel what that song is called! For the second time in a row we've had about 15 minutes of street-style dance-off and I guess people must have been getting more comfortable with this idea because they were way more enthusiastic this time around and really showed off what they've got. It was hilarious to watch and so much fun to do. And what a good work-out - my hips and thighs are aching but it felt so good!

Tonight we are going to take it easy though - Michelle and I have been quite good this week having done Combat on Monday and Zumba yesterday. We are going to train with machines to build some muscles. No pain, no gain, right? So we will do our best today too!

Déjà vu?

Oui, I am at the reception again today. Not very exciting, today being Remembrance Day so there was no mail to sort and I have not had a single visitor yet. Which is good, because then I can concentrate on my stuff.


We had so much fun last night, Michelle and I, doing Zumba and shopping after. Our Zumba instructor Jewel rocked (like always) and I just loved the music. She pulls off the moves with such ease and style but I always feel like when I try the same moves it must look weird and awkwardly funny. (Think Night at the Roxbury funny.) Towards the end of the class she divided us into two groups and had a street-style dance-off - totally hilarious and absolutely the most outrageous but fun thing I've done in a long time. The only thing I have to quip about is these two ladies who barged in right in front of us after class has started, blocking the view so I had no clue what Jewel was doing up there at the stage, and kept moving back onto us regardless of which direction we were supposed to be moving to. Several times I almost got stepped onto and and made me want to ask them to move up front or switch places. I understand the studio is small and it does get crowded, and I respect that we are all there for a good time and the more the merrier, but what these ladies were doing were just not considerate nor tactful. But otherwise, the class was great and we had a good workout.


After washing up Michelle and I went shopping for a bit - Sears had a Gala with live Christmas music and Pink by Victoria's Secret has opened, and there was a nice promo at La Senza where you get $10 off of a $50 purchase. The lace and frills were nice, but I managed to control myself from buying any because I had just picked up some from the Triumph warehouse sale. Showed my new leather jacket to my bro and now I'm having second thoughts - I really should have picked up something black or brown, and something more fitted. I think I am going to bring this one back and find something more in line with how I had envisioned it to be.